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More news from Woking Borough Council

Council documents from the executive meeting on Thursday (January 18) said the policy was a "reasonable and proportionate" way of supporting faith communities in Woking, in light of their role "promoting social inclusion" and organising voluntary work.

Congregations at Coign Church, Christ Church, Trinity Methodist Church and Woking United Reformed Church are able to use a "validating device" to encode their parking ticket, allowing them to exit the car parks without paying.

The council also gives assistance to worshippers attending the mosque on Friday and is willing to support non-faith based groups "where it is reasonable and proportionate to do so".

Christ Church is one of four churches in Woking whose congregations enjoy free parking on Sundays (Image: Grahame Larter/Surrey Advertiser)

However, only the four town centre churches have the validating facility available.

In 2011, an elder of the Coign Church, John Wardill, told Get Surrey the cost of parking would otherwise be "prohibitive" for worshippers.

However, Keith Porteous Wood, executive director the National Secular Society, announced the start of legal action against the council in June 2013.

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Mr Porteous Wood said: "The equal treatment of all, regardless of belief or non-belief, is a key secular principle.

"We have launched this challenge to preferential treatment of worshippers because it is neither legitimate nor lawful for local government to subsidise the activities of any particular religion and belief group.

"It would be fairer if the council either charged worshippers for parking, as they do everyone else, or provided free parking for all."

The challenge was discontinued two months later after the council issued a clarification , saying other faith and non-faith community groups could apply for similar allowances.

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